In literature, there are three modes of narrative conflict: man versus man, man versus nature, and man versus self. Recently, a London graffiti removal worker found himself unexpectedly involved in the third kind.

Back in May, the U.K. stencil artist known as DS had just finished a piece depicting, essentially, Fifty Shades of Hello Kitty, only to have it erased about eight hours later. He was checking up on his own handiwork when he saw a worker busily painting over his creation. Gutted, DS still managed to find inspiration in the moment by taking pictures of the graffiti removal guy hard at work. He went on to make a stencil out of an especially resonant shot of the man and put that up on the very same wall.

According to an interview with The Daily Mail, DS went back later, hoping to get an image of the man taking down his own image–hoping to make yet another metastencil. Ultimately, though, when this man was pitted against himself, he simply chose to relinquish the battle, leaving his own image emblazoned on a wall, perhaps to let the world know, “I am here. I exist. I shall not be erased.”